EMU Readies for Valentine's Day Date with Ohio

Women's Basketball vs. Ohio
Date	Wednesday, Feb. 14 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	E SPN3
Listen	N/A
Twitter	@EMUW BB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -  The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team looks to get off the schneid when it hosts Ohio University in a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional clash on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. The Eagles and Bobcats are scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. inside the Convo.
   Eastern Michigan is 9-14 on the season (5-7 MAC) after a comeback bid fell short against Akron, 77-65, Feb. 11, as EMU dropped its fifth straight game. Meanwhile, Ohio travels to Ypsilanti with a 13-10 overall record and 7-5 MAC mark after a 78-65 triumph at Kent State, Feb. 10.
   The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 where Ryan Wooley will call the action on the court and Kyler Ludlow will add analysis, while fans can also tune-in to veteran broadcasters Chad Bush and Greg Steiner on WEMU 89.1 FM. Fans can also follow via Twitter, @EMUWBB.

VALENTINE'S DAY AFFAIR: EMU's midweek clash with Ohio marks the 12th time Eastern Michigan will play on Valentine's Day in the program's history. The Eagles own a 7-4 record in games played on the Hallmark holiday, including a 2-1 mark at home.
   Eastern's last Valentine's Day tilt came back during the 2014-15 season when the Green and White felt the love with an 85-64 win over Central Michigan, inside the Convocation Center.

FRESHMAN PHENOMS: When Eastern Michigan and Ohio square off Wednesday, two of the conference's top freshmen will go head-to-head. EMU's Courtnie Lewis and OU's Cierra Hooks have put together fantastic first seasons thus far, as the only freshmen in the league to rank in the top-25 in scoring. Lewis ranks 12th at 14.5 ppg, while Hooks is just behind her at 13th with a scoring average of 14.3. Hooks checks in at 14th in the league in field goal percentage (48.0), while Lewis is the MAC's top freshman three-point threat. Lewis ranks eighth in three-point field goal percentage (38.9) and triples made (35).

LOVELESS IN FEBRUARY: With its loss to Akron, Feb. 11, EMU fell to 0-3 this month, and have lost 11 straight in the month of February. Eastern's last win in February came back during the 2015-16 season when the Green and White topped Toledo, 58-46, in the Glass City.

COURTNIE CONTINUES TO CLIMB: It comes as no surprise to those familiar with Eastern Michigan that Courtnie Lewis has reached yet another milestone in what has already been a fantastic freshman season. A MAC Freshman of the Year candidate, Lewis eclipsed the 300-point mark with her 29-point output versus Ball State, Feb. 7, becoming the first freshman Eagle to do so since Janay Morton and Cha Sweey both acomplished the feat in 2013-14.
   In addition, Lewis sits just 14 points out of the top-10 scoring list by an EMU freshman as she trails Nikki Knapp. With her current average of 14.5 points per game, the Belton, Mo. native is on pace to finish the year with 422 points, which would be good for third-most in EMU laurels.

MAKIN' MOVES: Senior Sasha Dailey eclipsed the 1000-point mark against Toledo, Jan. 6. Since then, the Toledo, Ohio native has continued her ascent up the EMU all-time scoring list. Currently, she ranks 18th in EMU laurels with 1,133 points, just eight points ahead of former teammate Phillis Webb (1,125) and 25 points behind Reeshema Wood (1,158).

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: Freshman Courtnie Lewis is just 23 games into her Eastern Michigan career, but has already put people on notice. The Belton, Mo. native is averaging 14.5 points per game, the second-best mark on the team, as well as the seventh-highest scoring average among "true" freshmen nationally. In the MAC, Lewis ranks eighth in three-point field goal percentage (38.9) and 12th in scoring and free throw percentage (77.5), and 14th in three-pointers made (35), all of which are the best of any freshman in the league.

PAST THE HALFWAY POINT: With more than half of the Mid-American Conference season in the books, Eastern Michigan finds itself in the thick of things when it comes to tournament seeding. If the MAC Tournament began today, the Eagles would hold the No. 8 seed and host No. 9 seeded Northern Illinois. Central Michigan, Buffalo, Ball State, and Ohio would hold byes to Cleveland as the top four seeds.

BATTLING THE BOBCATS: Wednesday's tilt between EMU and OU will mark the 61st meeting all-time between the two conference foes. The Bobcats hold the upper hand, leading the all-time series, 35-25, and have won five of the last six meetings.
   Last season, Ohio topped Eastern twice. In the first meeting, the Bobcats bested the Eagles, 68-51, in Athens, Jan. 21. The two squads squared off a second time in the opening round of the MAC Tournament, March 6, as No. 5 Ohio held off No. 12 Eastern Michigan, 63-49.

ABOVE 40: In its game at Ball State, Feb. 7, Eastern Michigan shot 35-of-78 from floor. EMU's 44.9 field goal percentage marked the fifth straight game in which the Eagles have shot above 40.0 percent, as well as the 11th time this season. That streak came to an end against Akron, Feb. 11, as EMU shot at a 36.7 percent clip, its lowest since posting a 39.7 field goal percentage at Kent State, Jan. 10.
   The Green and White have been much more consistent since MAC play began, shooting above 40.0 percent in seven of 12 conference contests. Last year, EMU only shot above the 40.0 percent mark eight times, and never topped 44.0 percent.

SWEET CHARITY: A key to Eastern Michigan's ability to win close games this season has been how the Green and White perform at the free throw line. In its nine victories EMU is shooting 67.7 percent (111-of-164), while Eastern is converting just 62.1 percent (151-of-243) of its attempts from the stripe in losses.

COURTNIE'S CONVO: If Courtnie Lewis continues to put on the type of performances she has inside the Convocation Center in her first seven home games, Eastern Michigan may have to consider renaming the arena. In seven games on her home court, Lewis is averaging 17.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting a blistering 50 percent from the field and 44.4 from three-point range, as well as 89.7 percent (26-of-29) from the free throw line.

CREATING SECOND CHANCES: The Green and White have owned the offensive glass, racking up 362 offensive rebounds. EMU's 16.0 offensive rebounds per game ranks top in the MAC and 23rd nationally, while leading to 308 points or 19.6 percent of Eastern's scoring this season.

OFF TO THE RACES: Eastern Michigan has been dominant in transition, outscoring the opposition, 249-120, in fast break points. Offensively, the Green and White average 10.8 transition points per game, while giving up just an average of 5.2 points per contest. For the season, EMU is 5-4 when scoring 10 fast break points.

SHARING IS CARING: EMU's ability to distribute the ball has been a true-tale sign of its success offensively this season. Eastern has racked up 10-or-more assists in 14 games this year and has averaged 72.8 points in those contests. On the flip side, the Eagles score more than 10 points less (61.8 ppg) when finishing with a single digit assist total.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan hits the road for a rematch with MAC-leading Central Michigan Saturday, Feb. 17, in Mount Pleasant. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and is the first leg of a doubleheader with the EMU men's team at McGuirk Arena.

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Players Mentioned

Sasha Dailey

Courtnie Lewis

Eastern Michigan Athletics